Chaotian Palace has special emotions for old Nanjing people. It has their childhood "slide". This "sliding slide" is not an amusement facility, but a long stone between the steps under the Chaotian Palace Gate archway.

This place was originally a solemn place. I don't know when children started to slide down and play. Over time, generations of children slid down from here. The children of that time became old people, and new children continued to slide down, so that every long stone was left with smooth and deep grooves. The traces of these years also leave deep memories of generations of old Nanjing people.

On the west side of Chaotian Palace stands a long stone with a height of 2.8 meters, a width of 0.62 meters, and a thickness of 0.31 meters. It is engraved with the words "Civil and military officials, military and civilians, etc. Dismount here" in regular script with double hooks. It shows that at that time, this place was not easy to enter and exit, let alone let children in and slide on the long stone. This stone is also called Xiamabu Monument. It is said that the place name Zhima Ying next to Chaotian Palace is related to it.

During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang built it on the basis of the original Taoist temple here. After completion, he personally named it "Chaotian Palace". The Taoist temple here became a dedicated Taoist temple for the royal family to burn incense and pray for blessings and worship the Taoist gods. A learning pavilion was built inside the temple, which was used by the court as a place to practice etiquette before holding grand ceremonies, and the children of bureaucrats to learn the etiquette of meeting the emperor before taking office. At this moment, Chaotian Palace has entered the most glorious period in its history. It is said that the building area at that time covered an area of more than 300 acres. Although many of the buildings were damaged and damaged by war, they were restored in the Qing Dynasty. The Chaotian Palace buildings that survive now are also the ones in Jiangnan. The highest, largest and most complete ancient buildings.

Before the Ming Dynasty, this place had also been the seat of government-run institutions. From the original Spring and Autumn Period when King Fuchai of Wu surrounded the soil and built a metallurgical city here, to Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of Wu, who set up a metallurgical palace here, and Wang Dao, the Prime Minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, built the West Garden. Zongming Temple, a scientific research institution established in the Southern Dynasties, Taiji Palace in the Tang Dynasty, Ziji Palace in the Yang and Wu period, Emperor Wulie Temple in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Wenxuan Temple (Confucius Temple) and Tianqing Temple in the Song Dynasty, Xuanmiao Temple, Dayuanxing Yongshou Palace in the Yuan Dynasty, etc.

In the Ming Dynasty, this place has been listed as a scenic spot in Jinling. Among the "Forty-Eight Scenery of Jinling" handed down from the Ming and Qing Dynasties,"Yecheng Standing in the West" is this scene. Among the "Forty-Eight Scenery of Jinling" re-assessed by Nanjing City in recent years, this scene is still among them and is called the "Chaotian Palace". This shows the unique status of this place as a tourist attraction in Jinling, so Chaotian Palace is also known as "the No. 1 Scenic Spot in Jinling."

In addition to retaining the Confucian Temple pattern after the Song Dynasty, the current Chaotian Palace still retains the "Wanren Palace Wall" of Zhaobi in front of it, and there is a Panchi between Zhaobi and Lingxingmen. The main building is also preserved and renovated on the basis of the Ming Dynasty architecture. Today, its main function is to serve as the seat of the Nanjing Museum, which displays Nanjing's urban history and related cultural relics. Due to the limited number of cultural relics in its collection, it naturally cannot be compared with the Nanjing Museum, one of the three major museums in China. If I put aside the topic of viewing cultural relics, I would think it would be more interesting here than the Nanjing Museum.

There are unique buildings here. The red palace walls are matched with golden glazed tiles, showing the unique spirit of royal architecture. Flying eaves and arches, carved beams and painted buildings, exquisite large brick carvings on the walls, etc. are all exquisite works of art in themselves and are worth tasting carefully. The entire building is adjacent to the ancient transportation of the Qinhuai River in front and Yeshan in the back, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with pleasant scenery.

The palace walls are lined with trees inside and outside, and the entire building complex is surrounded by green urban forests. From the surrounding city roads, you will be attracted by this magnificent building far away. The scenic area has been built into a small square for citizens to relax. On the west side are the ruins of Bian's Tomb and Bian Gong Temple, and on the east side is Jiangning Prefecture School. In addition to the main buildings of the Confucian Temple, there are also Jingyi Pavilion, Feiyun Pavilion, Feixia Pavilion, Imperial Stele Pavilion, etc.

When the autumn wind blows, the tall ginkgo trees in the palace are covered with splendid golden branches, golden ginkgo leaves, and the surrounding extraordinary ancient buildings. This place has instantly become one of the most popular spots in Jinling City.

Because it integrates historical buildings and natural scenery, many of the film and television dramas we have seen were filmed here, such as the Anti-Japanese War film "Blood Evidence of the Massacre","The Legend of the New White Lady", which became popular across the country in the 1990s, etc.

Since there are many free attractions in Nanjing, this is a fee-paying attraction. Although the tickets are not expensive, it does block the footsteps and enthusiasm of many tourists. Therefore, there are fewer tourists here, so it is a quiet tourist attraction that can avoid the busy scenery of other attractions and the hustle and bustle of the city. In fact, when you come to play, you can choose to purchase tickets online to get discounts. In addition, there is a free open day on the 10th of every month, and you can also enjoy free travel during this time.

When you come to Nanjing to travel, you will make Chaotian Palace a check-in attraction!